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The empowerment of simple stories fuels the cinematic movement of director Tunku Mona Riza, whose features pack a familiar yet cathartic punch. Following up on the success of “Redha” (2016), which explores the intricacies of autism, the alum of the New York Film Academy once again delivers a candid story diving into the private chambers of familial disharmony.

Set against the backdrop of the Malay Peninsula’s wettest town, Taiping, a tempestuous drama begins to brew in the “Choo” household. In the beginning, there is all smiles around the dining table. The matriarch, Aileen (Susan Lankester with perhaps her greatest onscreen performance) lovingly makes mooncakes, a detailed and careful endeavor, much like how she raises her three children: the rebellious fire cat, Alex (Wilson Lee), only daughter, Ruby (Pauline Tan), and of course the pride of the family, Dr. Isaac Choo (Fabian Loo).

After a lunchtime squabble in Cantonese and English tongues,...

Maryam (Sofia Jane) appears to lead a modern existence; she owns a successful art gallery and resides in a spacious, opulent apartment. She practically has almost any kind of freedom except choosing her own mate. In a country that strictly follows Sharia law, she still needs the approval of her father, her legal guardian (“wali”), to get married. It doesn’t seem to matter that Maryam is already 50 years old, she will receive plenty of mansplaining on her protracted quest to have her wedding approved. The fact that she comes from an aristocratic family and that her father is none other than the timber tycoon Tengku Dol further burdens her with the expectation that she will marry someone of equal standing, preferably a royalty and certainly not a much younger black man from Sierra Leone.

Maryam is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam

Although we are not given the...

The 5th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) and Malaysia Golden Global Awards (Mgga) officially returns physically yesterday with a 5-day film festival at the Dadi Cinema and the awards ceremony on the 16th at Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur. The opening ceremony of the festival was held at the main entrance of Pavilion Kl, and in addition to the presence of filmmakers and invited guests.

‘Edge of The World’ as the Opening Film

The opening film was “Edge of the World”, a film directed by Hollywood director Michael Haussman, set in Sarawak, Malaysia and supported by the Sarawak Tourism Board, the film is about the 19th century British explorer James Brooke, who led the indigenous people of Malaysia out of British colonial rule and into civilization. The film’s director and producer, Josie Ho, also made a surprise appearance at the event to support the opening of the film. This is...